New brain imaging suggests that asking patients to put themselves in their surrogates’ shoes when thinking about advance directives might lead to directives that better line up with what surrogates think they should decide.
Asymmetry in knowledge and power between (1) physicians and patients and (2) physician educators and their students creates a climate for possible abuse in both sets of relationships.
Much premed education encourages acquiring competence in basic science and demonstrating (rather than developing) the characteristics of a good physician.
Journalists must balance the need for information about disaster events against an individual’s right to privacy or the possible effects of disturbing images on the viewing population.